Trainer BOB BAILEY—who has trained
over 120 species—and veterinarian/animal
behaviorist DR. SOPHIA YIN explain what
Operant Technology really is and how to
make it work for you. Whether you’re a trainer,
veterinary professional, pet owner, or police, military,
or scent work trainer, science-based training methods
can get you astonishingly fast and consistent results.
Don’t miss this unique event!
Behavior Medicine Club
at UC Davis
Harness the power of science in your training! Hear insights and war stories from Bob Bailey’s 25 years with the pioneering company
Animal Behavior Enterprises, training everything from performing dolphins and parrots to dogs, ravens, and seabirds used in military
operations. Listen to behaviorist and veterinarian Dr. Sophia Yin explain common mistakes and misconceptions and how to correctly
integrate science into your training methods. After two fascinating days of stories, case studies, and archival footage and training
videos you’ll see nowhere else, you’ll go home with a wealth of knowledge you can put to use right away.
BOB BAILEY was the U.S. Navy’s first director of marine mammal training in the early 1960s, and met Marian and Keller
Breland, founders of Animal Behavior Enterprises (ABE). In 1965, the year of Keller’s passing, Bailey joined ABE. He held
various positions there, including research director, head of government programs, and general manager, before becoming
the co-owner in 1976, when he and Marian married. Over 47 years ABE trained 140 species and at least 16,000 individuals,
and at its peak had up to 1,000 animals in training at a time. Since retiring and closing ABE in 1990, Bailey has continued to
consult for USA and foreign government organizations, and to offer his famous operant conditioning workshops (a.k.a.
chicken training workshops) teaching animal trainers and the general public the principles behind operant conditioning. His
goal is to introduce operant conditioning principles to the animal training world and keep alive the legacy of Keller and
Marian Breland, the innovators who created the field of Applied Animal Psychology
DR. SOPHIA YIN is a veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and author of three books on animal behavior—How to Behave
So Your Dog Behaves, Perfect Puppy in 7 Days: How to Start Your Puppy Off Right, and Low Stress Handling, Restraint and
Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats. She earned her veterinary degree at UC Davis in 1993, and her Master’s in Animal
Science with an emphasis on behavior in 2001 where she studied vocal communication in dogs. For five years she taught the
animal behavior courses in the UC Davis Animal Science Department. Dr. Yin took Bob and Marian Bailey’s chicken camps in
1999 and 2000 and has applied the principles to all of her animal training since then. She currently sees behavior consults,
writes for veterinary and popular magazines such as The Bark, lectures and teaches handling and training workshops
internationally, and publishes books, DVDs and other educational products. She is also on the executive board for the
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Dr. Yin is dedicated to improving our ability to handle, understand, and
treat animals based on the science of observation, data collection, and careful interpretation of results.
Dog Training: Craft or Technology – is there a difference?
Bob Bailey
|
How Using All Motivators to Your Advantage Can Help You
Create an Overnight Change | Dr. Yin
While many established law and intelligence organizations continue
to treat dog training as a craft, some European police and military
trainers have begun to treat it as a science-based technology—with
amazing results. Includes videos of special military operations Bailey
has consulted on.
Many trainers think positive reinforcement, while kinder, takes more
time. But a dog’s progress may actually have more to do with whether
your training plan factors in all motivators (not just food) for the
desired and undesired behaviors. Find out how well-planned “learn to
earn” training can create impulse control in dogs, leadership skills in
humans, and huge changes virtually overnight.
Operant Technology: What It REALLY Is and How to
Harness Its Power | Dr. Yin
Think/Plan/Do | Bob Bailey
Operant conditioning is much more than a clicker and treats. Many
trainers believe they are using it—yet have an incomplete understanding of its nuances and potential. Find out what operant
conditioning really is, how to use it correctly, and common mistakes
and misconceptions to avoid.
How Operant Conditioning and Applied Behavior Analysis
Were Born and Met the Masses | Bob Bailey
Bailey tells a story only he can tell: how Marian and Keller Breland
learned about operant conditioning as B. F. Skinner’s graduate
students, worked on Skinner’s “Project Pigeon” during World War II,
and then went on to found Animal Behavior Enterprises in order to
bring the new training technology to the world.
The Difference a Measurement Makes: Lessons from the
Treat & Train Project | Dr. Yin
Should a verbal cue be given at the same time or before a visual cue?
How will reward placement affect your dog’s behavior? Collect data,
and the answers to these types of questions may be different from
the ones you expected. Dr. Yin describes findings from her published
research developing a program for training dogs to be calm in highly
distracting situations and what insights the data provided on
common training questions.
Would you “wing it” in an emergency situation? Not if dealing with
emergencies is your job; you plan ahead, practice until you get your
responses right, and go back to the drawing board if necessary.
Successful animal training also requires careful planning, and Bailey
outlines the essential steps in creating an effective and well-thoughtout training plan.
Your Mind’s Saying One Thing, but Your Body’s Saying
Another: The Subtle Differences in Technique that Make
One Handler Exceptional and Another So-So | Dr. Yin
Tiny differences in posture, speed, and direction can be the difference
between a pro athlete and an amateur—and between a highly successful trainer and one who is just OK. But how do you turn yourself into
the Tiger Woods of dog trainers? Dr. Yin shows you how to break
exercises down into component parts and pinpoint exactly where
improvements can be made.
From the Physics Lab to the Open Ocean: A 50 Year Animal
Training Retrospective | Bob Bailey
Bailey’s path from trudging the southwestern deserts studying animals
to plying the oceans training dolphins. More stories from Bailey’s long
career that you’ll hear nowhere else. Bailey has pretty much seen it all:
training everything from chickens to dolphins; for clients including the
military, General Mills, Hollywood, and Marineland of Florida; and
using and expanding innovative techniques including radio and laser
guidance systems.
EVENT & REGISTRATION DETAILS: Cost is $150 for one day and $250 for both days. Light breakfast and lunch included. For more
information about the speakers go to www.drsophiayin.com/blog. To register, go to www.drsophiayin.com/DogTrainingSeminar.